Electrical fixture



F. L. BUTLER.

ELECTRICAL FIXTURE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7, I920.

Patented J lily 27, 1920.

INVENTOR FLBuZZer 741%; 9 6,

A TTORNEYS PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK LOWELL BUTLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRICAL FIXTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 27, 1920.

Application filed February 7, 1920. Serial No. 356,866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, F RANK LOWELL BUT- LER, a citizen of the -UnitedStates, and a resident of Chicago, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electrical Fixtures, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in electrical fixtures, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide an electrical fixture in which the stem is effectively insulated from the parts supporting the stem in position so that an electric current is prevented from passing from the current carrying system to the parts of the fixture maintaining such current carrying system in position without the use of an auxiliary insulating joint such as would otherwise be required.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described that is durable, ornamental, and relatively simple in construction.

A further object of my invention is to provide an insulating stem for electric fixtures that can be manufactured cheaply.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application in which Figure 1 is a sectional view of the device in operative position,

Fig. 2 is a section along the line 22 of Fig. 1,

- Fig. 3 is a side view of a portion of the device,

Fig. 4 is a side view of an insulating sleeve constituting a part of the device,

Fig. 5 is a section along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, I

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a portion of a modified form of the device.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of a pipe or conduit 1, which is fixed in a wall or ceiling and projects therefrom. A coupling'2, having oppositely disposed lateral apertures 3, has its smaller end screwed to the pipe or conduit 1. The coupling 2 has an internal annular recess 4 extending within its depending 8nd to provide a shoulder 5. A cylindrical insulating sleeve 7 has its end inserted within the annular recess 4 and seated against the shoulder 5. An annular slot 6 is provided within the recess 4 at a spaced distance from the end of the coupling 2 and registers with a slot 8 in the insulating sleeve 7 when the latter has its end seated against the shoulder 5. The registering slots 6 and 8 provide a rectangular shaped openmg adapted to receive av spring member 25 in a manner which will be hereinafter described.

The insulating sleeve 7 has a central bore 9 which has an enlarged portion 10 to provide a shoulder 11 which supports an annular flange 13 of a tube 12. The insulating sleeve 7 has an annular recess 14 intermediate the central bore 9 and the outer edge of the sleeve. A stem 15 has one end seated in the annular recess 14. The tube 12 extends through the stem 15. A canopy 16 is slidably disposed upon the stem 15 and may be secured in a. desired position along the stem by means of a screw 17 The canopy 16 is ordinarily moved flush against the ceiling or wall to which the fixture is attached.

An eye member 18 having an internally threaded sleeve portion 19 and an annular extension 21 is screwed upon the threaded end 20 of the tube 12. It will be noted that the upper end of the stem 15 is held firmly within the annular groove 14 provided in the insulating sleeve '7, while the lower end of the stem 15 abuts against the annular extension 21 of the eye member 18. As the eye member 18 is screwed more tightly upon the threaded end 20 of the tube 12, the stem 15 will be held more rigidly in operative position. It will also be noted that the annular recess 14 is of suflicient size to accommodate insulating stems of varying sizes and that likewise a larger size stem may be used without substituting an eye member 18 provided with a larger annular flange 21. A chain 22 is connected to the 'eye member 18 and from this chain 22 may be suspended a socket or other fitting (not shown) for an electrical element.

The insulated wires 23 and 24 are inserted into the coupling 2 through the lateral apertures 3 provided therein and extend through the insulating sleeve 7, the tube 12, and the sleeve portion 19 of the eye member 18. Thence they diverge and extend along the chain 22 to the socket or other fitting (not shown) suspended from the chain 22. The insulating sleeve 7 is held within the recess 4- of the coupling 2 by 'means of a sprlng member wlnch -1S received in the registering slots (3 and 8. The spring'member 25 has a diameter substantially the same as the depth of the groove '8 and a diameter greater-than the depth of the groove 6. In adjusting the insulating sleeve within the coupling 2 the projecting ends 27and 28 of the spring member 25 are drawn together by pressure of the fingers so that the spring member 25 is entirely contained in the groove 8 of the insulating V '7 sleeve 7.

' sleeve 7 within the cou )lin 2.

'.(see Fig. adjusted within the coupling 2 in the manner described and is held firmly in place by l/Vhen the end of the sleeve has been moved within the recess 4 against the shoulder 5, the ends 27 and 28 are released and will be engaged by the sides of a channeled recess 26 provided in thebottom edge of the coupling 2, as clearly shown in Flg. 2'of the accompanymg drawmgs. The

spring member 25 will then be disposed V partly within the slot 6 and partly within the slot 8,7thereby holding the insulating It will be noted that the insulating sleeve is secured in position without the use of threaded members and that the parts of the electrical in Fig. 2. The structure is identical with the exceptions about to be set forth, and I have accordingly used the same reference numerals for corresponding parts'throughout. A spring member 30 in the modified form does not have the projecting ends as provided in the preferred form and it is therefore not necessary to provide a recess 1n the couphng 2 similar to therecess 26 The insulating sleeve 7 1s the spring member 30. I

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the-'operatlon thereof may be readily understood. It is to I 'be'understood that the use of my device is i Ot restricted to the applications illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but may be ,used in connection with electrical fixtures of various types,

The insulating sleeve 7 thoroughly insulates the stem 15 and the parts contained therein from the couplingv2 which is attached to the pipe or conduit which projects from a wall or ceiling. Consequently; an insulating joint, such as would otherwise be placed between the stem 15 and the coupling 2, is not required.

I claim: 7 1. In an electrical fixture, the combination of a fixed support, a coupling having its upper end connected to said tiXedsupport and having opposite la'teral apertures inter mediate its length, said coupling having an internal annular recess at its lower end extending toward itsupper 'end to provide an annularshoulder and an internal annular slot in the recessed portion,a cylindrical insulatingsleev'e adapted :to enter said recess in said coupling and to seat against said shoulder provided therein, said sleeve having a central bore enlarged at the upper end thereof to provide an annular shoulder and an external annular slot near the upper end to register with the internal annular slot in the recessed portion ofsaid coupling, said insulating sleeve valso having a recess in its lower end adapted to receive the ends of cylindrical stems of varying sizes, a spring member disposed within the registering slots'provided insaid'sleeve and said coupling, whereby said insulating sleeve is firmly held within the recessed portion of said coupling, a tube having a flanged upper end supported by'the annular shoulder pro vided in the central bore ofsaid insulating sleeve, said tube extending through said insulatmg sleeve and havmg its threaded lower 7 end depending therefrom,a hollow stem havring 1ts upper end seated 1n the recess 1n the lower end of said insulating sleeve, said hollow stem encompasslng sa1d tube for a portion of its length and having its inner wall spaced therefrom, an eye member'having an internally threaded portion screwed upon'the threaded end of said tube and having an annular extensionagainst which the lower end of said stem is seated, whereby the hollow stem is held inoperative position, a canopy slidably disposed upon said hollow stem and provided with means for securing the canopy thereto, a socket carrying member connected to'said eye member, and. conducting means passing through the apertures in said coupling intoand through said in'sulatingsleeve, said tube, and said eye member to the socket carrying means.

.2. In an electrical fixture, the combination of a fixed support, a coupling havingits upper end connected to said fixed support and having opposite lateral apertures intermediate its length, said coupling having an internal annular recess at its lowerend extending toward its upper end to provide an annular shoulder and an internal annular insulating sleeve adapted to enter'said recess in said coupling and to seat again'st said shoulder provided therein, said sleeve having a central bore enlarged at the upper end thereof to provide an annular shoulder and an external annular slot near the upper end to register with the internal annular slot in the recessed portion of said coupling, said insulating sleeve also having a recess in its lower end adapted to receive the ends of cylindrical stems of varying sizes, a spring member disposed within the registering slots provided in said sleeve and said coupling, whereby said insulating sleeve is firmly held within the recessed portion of said coupling, said spring member having ends projecting outwardly through a recess provided in the said coupling, a tube having a flanged upper end supported by the annular shoulder provided in the central bore of said insulating sleeve and having its threaded lower end depending therefrom, a hollow stem having its upper end seated in the recess in the lower end of said insulating sleeve, said hollow stem encompassing said tube for a portion of its length and having its inner Wall spaced therefrom, an eye member having an internally threaded portion screwed upon the threaded end of said tube and having an annular extension against which the lower end of said stem is seated, whereby the hollow stem is held in operative position, acanopy slidably disposed upon said hollow stem and provided with means for securing the canopy thereto, a socket carrying member connected to said eye member, and conducting means passing through the apertures in said coupling into and through said insulating sleeve, said tube, and said eye member to the socket carrying means.

3. In an electrical fixture, the combination of a fixed support, a coupling connected to said support, said coupling being provided with opposite lateral apertures, an insulating sleeve connected with said coupling, said insulating sleeve being formed with a central bore, a tube having a flanged upper end supported by the upper inner edge of said insulating sleeve, said tube extending through the central bore of said insulating sleeve and having its threaded lower end depending therefrom, a hollow stern arranged to have its upper end abutting against the lower end of said insulating sleeve, said hollow stem encompassing said tube for a portion of its length and having its inner wall spaced therefrom, an eye member having an internally threaded portion screwed on the threaded end of said tube an d having an extension against which the lower end of said stem is seated, whereby the stem is held in operative position, a canopy slidably disposed on said hollow stem and provided with means for securing the same thereto, a socket carrying member connected to said eye member, and conducting means passing through the apertures in said coupling into and through said insulating sleeve, said tube, and said eye member to the socket carrying member.

FRANK LOWELL BUTLER. 

